Chapter 3

Character sheet Name Varis Class Archmage Level 1 Age 23 Race Human Gender Male Attributes Strength 10 Dexterity 10 Constitution 12 Wisdom 18 Intelligence 18 Charisma 12 Status Health 120 / 120 Stamina 120 / 120 Mana 360 / 180 Mana regeneration 1,8 per minute Skill Unarmed fighting 1 / 100 Arcane Manipulation 2 / 100 Spellcraft 2 / 100 Mana Overflow 2 / 100 Foci Fast Learner: You accumulate knowledge faster than most people. You gain experience towards levelling up your class level and skill levels four times as fast. Titles Guest: You are a guest to a new world, as a guest you have been given guest access to World Information System. If you require help using our system, please contact one of our helpful Admins. First user: As the first user you gain access to Unique class, one free Foci from class Foci, 10%xp bonus from all sources, additional Skill and Attribute points during character creation. Spells known None

When I woke up my vision was once again assaulted by a System window. This one showed me my full character sheet with some extra information about the skills I picked.

Arcane manipulation: Arcane manipulation skill allows the user to manipulate pure arcane power in exchange for their mana. Spellcraft: Spellcraft skill allows the user to weave arcane forces into entirely new spells. Mana Overflow: Mana Overflow skill allows the user to store double their normal mana, this stored mana can be used to empower spell.

While I was taking a closer look at my now finished character sheet, I was interrupted by a low rumbling sound coming from my stomach.

Bloody hell! How long was I out? I’m starving and naked, I really need to find some food and water soon.

I took a look around my surroundings once again, but nothing had changed that I could see. I was still in that same clearing, and still in my bed with the bat creature that attacked me.

I wonder if there is any source of water around. I should get a move on as soon as possible and find a source of food and water.

My vision fell on the dead bat creature as my stomach let out another low rumble. Now that my sight was no longer hampered by floating system windows I was free to take a closer look at it.

The creature was a weird mixture between a bat and a mosquito, pinkish flesh colour. Its skin was thin, almost see through. It was the size of a small cat with a leathery wingspan twice it's body length when fully extended. All four of its legs ended in sharp pincer-like claws, and it had a long needle-like nose with a sharp looking stinger at the end. What gave it even a stranger, an almost alien look was a the that it didn’t have a mouth.

Well if worse comes to worst, and I can’t find anything to eat soon. I could always try this thing, but I’ll use that as a last resort. It really doesn’t look appetising, and I have no fire to cook it with.

No, but I think I can make fire.

I quickly opened the skills section of my character sheet and went to activate Arcane manipulation and Spellcraft skills. When I did my vision once again changed, I could see the green mist rising all around me, rising from the trees and other plant life. When I looked up, I could see a faint yellow haze falling down from the sky. When the yellow mist touched the leaves of the tree, it was absorbed into them. From the ground around my bed, I could see different shades of brown haze rising. Even the corpse of the dead bat thing gave of this hazy mist, the mist coming out from it was black.

I slowly moved my hand towards the corpse of the creature, as my hand touched the black mist I could feel it. It felt like I was touching something dead and decomposing, maybe ‘felt’ wasn’t the right word, it was more like I could sense it. Sense how the creature's flesh was slowly decomposing and releasing its stored lifeforce, mana, its energy. Releasing it back into that natural cycle of life. And yes it felt natural like its stored mana was pulled back into the world around it, to be recycled again.

As I was looking at my hand bathing in the black mana, I could see the mana stored in me, but my mana wasn’t leaking out; instead, it was tightly held inside me. I knew I could release it if I wanted to and shape it with my will. I released some of my mana and made it float above my palm, I formed it into a small orb and willed it hotter and hotter until it burst into a tiny flame. I kept it there for ten seconds, just staring at it, and feeling a childlike excitement from using magic for the first time. After I was done staring the small magical flame for ten seconds, I stopped feeding it more mana, and the fire quickly died out. I went to my status screen to see how much of my mana I had used.

Mana 327 / 180

That is quite a lot of mana for such a small flame, must be because I was just manipulating pure mana instead of using an actual spell. Still, this should help me survive.

After I was done testing my new magical abilities, I took the bed sheets from my bed and fastened them into a toga to cover myself. I also took the pillow cases and used one of them as a bag to carry my first kill, my duvet I bundled up and carried under my arm. And I was ready to head out to hunt for food and water.